The Golden State Warriors are in a transitory phase as a franchise. With Klay Thompson possibly out for the entire regular season and Kevin Durant now in Brooklyn, the Dubs are banking on their young players to get up to speed in a hurry.
One of those players — top draft choice Jordan Poole — is already garnering respect from some of his veteran teammates. Poole was on the receiving end of some trash talk during an intrasquad scrimmage courtesy of Draymond Green.
However, Poole had plenty of exposure to being the underdog as a kid growing up in Milwaukee, WI.
“He said I was a baby down there,” Poole recalled, via Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “So I’m like, ‘Who’s a baby?’ I’m not.”
Poole was triggered. Growing up in Milwaukee, he played with his father, Anthony, at an open gym on Sundays. It was all grown men and they regularly attempted to belittle Poole. Grabbed him. Pushed him. Elbowed him. When he got the better of them, they’d foul him and not respect his call. Poole said they were the worst kind of players to face, “grown men with hoop dreams” that didn’t pan out. So these pickup games were their validation, and teenage Poole was their prey. And he wasn’t having it.
When Omari Spellman backed him down during the scrimmage, Poole made sure that he would assert himself to every Warrior on the roster, rookie or veteran.
“You could kind of tell it was rare for people to being saying stuff back to Draymond,” Poole said. “I think that moment right there is when I earned his respect, for sure. One hundred percent.”
Poole has had a tough start to his NBA career.
Through three games, the former University of Michigan star was averaging 8.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists on under 22 percent shooting from the floor.
Hopefully, he'll be able to turn things around. besides, he has the gritty attitude of never backing down.
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